A Devilish Grin

FujiFilm GA645Zi FujiFilm NPH 400 Pro Arista C41 Kit

This was a creepy find, even in broad daylight. The line "Why So Serious" from the Film "The Dark Night" comes to mind and I expected the Joker to pop out of one of the surrounding dark doorways at any moment.

Shooting with the GA645Zi feeling like cheating as it makes shooting media format so effortless. The autofocus is usually tack sharp and the exposure system is great even in tough lighting situations. The built in flash is excellent for daylight fill, as you can see in this image.

Scanned using an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.

An Unexplained Madness....

FujiFilm GA645Zi FujiFilm NPH 400 Pro Arista C41 Processing Kit

Someone made use of a broken plastic chair to jot down a profound thought. Captured as found the full text is;

"An unexplained madness in a trembling mortal form,

Here to bring a thundering God to his knees."

-Anonymous

It is a shame a cannot properly credit the author, but he or she did not sign their work.

Scanned with an Epson V500 Photo, using Epson's EOM software.

Desert Boulders

Fujifilm GA645Zi Fujifilm Reala 100 Arista C-41 Processing Kit

Another image from the roll of Fujifilm Reala that sat in my GA645Zi for nearly two years. I am sure my fellow analog photographers feel there are two sins in the sentence previous,

1. I left a perfectly good roll of film in a camera for nearly two years
2. I did not use my Fujifilm GA645Zi for nearly two years.

Either one is bad enough on its own, but combine the two and I really need to do some penance to the Analog Gods.

Anyway, it is a nice image of the boulders in the Sonoran Desert outside of Phoenix Arizona.

Scanned with an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.

Sonoran Desert no. 1

Fujifim GA645Zi Fujifilm Reala 100 Arista C41 Processing Kit

Not bad for a roll of film that sat in the camera for nearly two years. This image was taken in the Sonoran Desert outside of Phoenix in September of 2015, but due to my hiatus from analog photography, is sat lonely and undeveloped until now. The roll held up well. I wish I could say the same for the other roll from this trip, which got two unprotected x-ray baths during the trip. I am sure they will be the subject of a future post.

Scanned with an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.  

Majestic....

Fujifilm GA645Zi Fujifilm Reala 100 Arista C-41 Processing Kit - So many tones and textures. I have always loved Fujifilm's Reala and the is one of my few remaining rolls. The GA645Zi makes shooting medium format a guilty pleasure.

Scanned using an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.

Kajin Tora....

Fujifilm GA645Zi Fujinon 55-90 f4.5/6.9 Fujifilm Acros 100 Arista 76 1:1 - One of the first shots from my GZ645Zi, our cat Kajin Tora was striking a great pose so I could not pass her up. She has stunning eyes and a killer instinct.

Scanned with an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.

The Infamous Texas Inn

Fujifilm GA645Zi Fujinon 55-90 f4.5/6.9 Fujifilm Acros 100 Arista 76 1:1 - A Lynchburg land mark for more years then must people remember, the "T-Room" as it is known, specializes in Chili and Hamburgers and serves up some of the best hang over food in town. Their trademark burger is the Cheesy Western, a cheese burger with Chili topped with a fried egg. The decor is classic 1950's lunch counter, with a sprinkling of greasy spoon, but do not let the rough edges keep you away. The Texas in a classic American Burger joint in the best sense of the genre.

Scanned with an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM Software.

Watch that first step!

Fujifilm GA645Zi Fujinon 55-90 f4.5/6.9 Fujifilm Acros 100 Arista 76 1:1 - A door to nowhere, this one adorns the side of the Academy of Music in downtown Lynchburg VA.. Now a part of Lynchburg Academy of Fine Arts the old theatre has been under active restorations for several years.

Scanned with an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.

GMC

Fujifilm GA645Zi Fujinon 55-90 f4.5/6.9 Fujifilm Acros 100 Arista 76 1:1 - An example of why the GA645Zi is my new love. The Fujinon zoom lens, if a bit slow, is absolutely stunning. The sharpness and contrast jumped off the negatives even before I scanned them. There are many reason I still shoot film, habit, nostalgia, the process, the smell of fixer and images like this.

Scanned with and Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.

The Fujifilm GA645Zi - Now this is what I call Point and Shoot Camera....

May I present my new love, the Fujifilm GA645Zi. After several years of wanting a Fujifilm medium format camera, I finally bit the bullet and bought this beauty. The real debate for me had been which model to buy. Fujifilm and made many flavors of medium format cameras over the years in 6x9, 6x7 and 6x4.5 format. Most of their models are rangefinders with normal or wide angel fixed lenses. My life long love affair with rangefinder cameras is what first drew me to the Fujifilm cameras, but as I researched these cameras, this model slowly won me over. The GA645Zi is not a rangefinder camera. It is an auto-focus, zoom lens packing, built in flash, auto film advance, auto exposure master work of late 1990's film camera technology. The camera packs the best features of a high end 35mm point and shoot into a medium format shooter that is not much larger or heavier than a typical 35mm SLR. Though large, the camera handles like a dream with most controls easily operated with your right hand, aided by the ample rubberized grip. The GA645Zi can be used as a fully automatic, point and shoot camera, but there are option for Aperture Priority and Shutter priority automatic as well as fully manual exposure control. Manual focus is also possible, but is limited to a "guesstimation" presetting method, with no focusing aid. If it only had a rangefinder driven manual focusing system, this camera work be perfect.

Images from this camera to come...

Complete Specifications:

CAMERA: Fujifilm GA645Zi 

TYPE: Autofocus 6x4.5cm lens-shutter camera 

LENS: Built-in EBC-Fujinon 55-90mm f/4.5-6.9 power zoom 

FOCUSING: Hybrid active infrared/ passive phase-detection single-shot AF; manual zone focusing 

METERING: Non-TTL center-weighted 

EXPOSURE MODES: Programmed AE, aperture-priority AE, metered manual 

SHUTTER: Electronically controlled lens shutter with speeds from 2 sec. to 1/700 plus B 

FILM SPEEDS: ISO 25-1600 automatically set with Barcoded films; can also be set manually 

FILM TRANSPORT: Automatic threading, single-frame advance and wind to end of roll 

FLASH: Built-in pop-up autoflash (ISO 100 GN 39, in feet) covers angle of view of 55mm lens; hot-shoe provided for accessory dedicated flash units; PC terminal for studio flash; sync up to 1/700 

VIEWFINDER: Transparent liquid crystal "bright frame" zoom type shows at least 88% of actual image area; 0.4-0.58X magnification with zoom lens at infinity 

VIEWFINDER INFORMATION: Flash on/off, shutter speed, aperture, focusing distance, exposure compensation, exposure status, shutter released 

LCD PANEL: Displays shutter speed, aperture, frame number, film speed, flash status, battery status, film length, exposure compensation, self-timer, focusing distance, MF mode, date, time 

SELF-TIMER: Electronic, 10-sec. delay 

POWER SOURCE: Two 3V CR123A lithium batteries 

DIMENSIONS: 6.4x4.3x2.9 in. 

WEIGHT: 31.2 oz. 

Object of Desire: Fujifilm GF670 Professional 6x7 Camera

© Fujifilm

Fujifilm has manufactured an impressive line of medium format rangefinder cameras over the years, including the innovative Auto-Focus Point and Shoot GA645 and GA645Zi, but the GF670 has to be one of the most drool worthy cameras of this series.

This Retro-styled medium format folder sports and EBC Fujinon 80mm f1:3.5 lens, switchable frame formats of 6x7 and 6x6, aperture priority automatic and manual exposure control, and rangefinder focusing. The in lens leaf shutter has speeds from 1/500th to 4 sec. with a B setting for longer exposures and a lens aperture range of f1:3.5 to 1:22.

Other Features include AE Lock, +/- 2 stop exposure compensation, ISO range of 25 to 3200 and automatic parallax correction. More on the GA67 can be found on Fujifilm USA's website and Camerapedia.